How to Clean a Snake Cage Quickly and Easily

I still remember the first time I cleaned a snake cage, and how many questions I had about the process. How often do I need to clean the cage? Do I really need to bleach everything? And what about water bowls? Do they require some kind of special treatment?

If you have similar questions about how to clean a snake cage, then this article is for you!

Let’s start by talking about frequency. At a minimum, you should do a thorough cage cleaning once a month. This is when you relocate the snake, clean all of the cage components, replace the substrate, etc.

In between these full cleanings, you should also spot clean the snake cage as needed. This includes cleaning water bowls at least weekly, removing feces as soon as you notice it, removing shed skin, etc.

How to Clean the Cage

Relocate your pet snake to a temporary “holding cell.” A medium-sized Rubbermaid or Sterilite box with a lockable lid and air holes will work perfectly.

Remove all of the cage furniture items (bowls, hides, climbs, etc.) and place them in the bathtub or utility sink.

Unplug all of the electrical devices on the snake cage, such as heating and lighting.

Remove the old substrate from the cage. This will be easy if it’s newspaper. If it’s aspen shavings, Carefresh bedding or something similar, you may have to dump the cage or use a shop vac to suck everything up. (I’ve offered some tips below on using these kinds of substrate.)

Clean the empty cage thoroughly. Start with a spray bottle with water and some paper towels, just to get all the dust, feces and other visible matter. Then go over it a couple of times with an antibacterial disinfectant product. I use a product called Quat Plus, which comes in a spray bottle. I order it from BigAppleHerp.com.

Avoid spraying cold water on hot glass (such as the glass bottom of a terrarium that has had a heat pad warming it). This can lead to a cracked glass. Let the glass cool a bit before cleaning it.

Leave the snake cage wide open so it can air out and finish drying completely, while you tackle the cage furniture items.

You can clean cage items with plain old antibacterial soap (like Dial liquid soap) and hot water. If any items are exceptionally filthy, you may want to soak them overnight in a diluted bleach solution, about 1 part bleach to 4 parts water. If you clean the snake cage and furniture on a regular basis, bleach will rarely be necessary. I hardly ever use it.

Pay particular attention to the water bowl. Give it a good “finger scrub” using antibacterial soap and hot water. Repeat this at least twice, and then give it a long hot rinse with the hottest water possible.

Avoid scrubbing plastic bowls with fingernails or scouring pads. This will leave shallow scratches and abrasions in the plastic, which makes the bowl harder to clean in the future. Bacteria are more likely to form in scratched or pitted surfaces, because these areas are hard to clean. So use the smooth part of your finger to rub the bowl clean, or soak it overnight if necessary.

Add some new substrate, replace the cage furniture, fill up the bowl with fresh water, put your pet snake back in it, and you’re done.

When the cage is clean and the occupant is back inside, plug in the electrical devices again. And check to make sure all locks and latches are secure.

More Cleaning Tips

Here’s a helpful series of cleaning tips, from someone who has cleaned a lot of snake cages over the years! These tips will help you save time and energy, and might even prolong the life of your cages.

“Shop towels” (blue, thick paper towels) are excellent for snake maintenance and cage cleaning. You can buy them in single rolls and six-packs at Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.

Keep a pump dispenser of hand sanitizer in your snake room, or on top of the cage. Use it before you handle the animal (for the snake’s health); after you handle the snake (for your health); and frequently while cleaning the cage.

Remember that a simple setup is easier to clean. A more naturalistic cage will take longer to clean. So you need to find a balance of simplicity and visual appeal that works for you.

Glass terrariums and plastic cages that have crevices around the edges can be a real pain to clean. So if possible, try to buy an enclosure that has rounded corners inside that are easier to spray and wipe. This is why I use Vision cages.

When water evaporates completely from a water bowl, it will leave mineral deposits that are hard to remove. If you clean and refill water bowls before the water completely evaporates, you won’t have to deal with this problem.

Cleaning the cage is also a good opportunity to feed the inhabitant. After you finish cleaning and are ready to put the pet snake back into the cage, have a thawed rodent inside the cage waiting for it. Two tasks at once!

I’ve created a general maintenance checklist to help you keep track of cage cleanings and other actions. It’s a single-page PDF file, and you can download it here.

Jackie — Yes, you should remove the snake when doing cage maintenance. Dirt is not the best substrate to use in a ball python cage. It will make it much harder to clean. You might want to look at cypress mulch or aspen bedding, or a product called “CareFresh” bedding. Good luck.

I can only speak for my own experience. I’ve kept a total of seven ball pythons over a 20-year period (and still going), and I’ve never had a snake strike at me or “mistake” my hand for food. Not once. I always feed them in their enclosures. I always use tongs when offering food. I never have any problems. Other people might do it differently. There are a lot of ball python “rules” posted online that are really just personal preferences. There are many ways to offer food to a pet snake. You just gotta find a method that works for you. Good luck.

I fed my corn sake yesterday and now it looks like he is going into a shed during the next week or so. If he poops during the next couple of days, how do I go about cleaning the enclosure? I have wood chips as bedding. Do I remove him from his enclosure before cleaning? How do I go about removing him if he is cranky? Do I just scoop the poop out while he is in shed, so I won’t be bothering him much? Or do I remove him and do clean thoroughly?

Hi Liz. If your corn snake is going into shed, it’s best to leave it alone (if possible). If the snake poops in the meantime, see if you can just “spot clean” that area of the cage, while leaving the snake in it. Then, once he has finished shedding, you can go back and clean the whole cage is needed. I hope that helps.

Sorry for the belated response. A dust mask is a good idea when cleaning a snake cage, especially if you’re using a substrate that kicks up a lot of dust when you clean. There’s always going to be fecal matter mixed in with that dust. I always use a mask, as a general precaution.